Local News

SANTA CRUZ—Members of the Watsonville Riders teamed up with the Santa Cruz Car Club on May 15 to showcase their sparkling cars at Lighthouse Point as part of an ongoing “cruise night.” The free event was designed to bring together car clubs from as far...

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new ordinance aimed at protecting tenants being harassed by their landlords or property owners when they speak out about bad conditions in their living spaces. The item was heard for first and second...

PRUNEDALE—Former Watsonville mayor Luis Alejo, who previously served on the California Assembly and now sits on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, was arrested Friday on drunk driving charges. According to California Highway Patrol Officer Jessica Madueño, officers on patrol in Prunedale just before midnight...

WATSONVILLE—More than 10 percent of the $349 billion set aside for the nation’s small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic has already been claimed as of Monday morning, according to National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow. Speaking to reporters at the White...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Grand Jury every year investigates different aspects of local government and civic operations throughout the county, and its findings typically produce detailed reports of positives and negatives found during the investigations. But while those investigated are required to respond...

WATSONVILLE—Around 70 people gathered at Jalisco Restaurant on Wednesday to kick off the campaign for the proposed half-cent sales tax measure that will go before voters in the Nov. 8 midterm election. Measure R—placed on the ballot by Watsonville City Council in June—would raise the...

WATSONVILLE—Sherry Dang knows how tough it can be to go to bed hungry. Dang, co-owner of a handful of 7-Eleven stores around the Central Coast with Kirk di Cicco, said she spent time without a home and went days without food while growing up in...

Updated 11/6 at 10am Watsonville City Councilman Jimmy Dutra held on to his lead Wednesday in the race to keep his District 6 seat against challenger Trina Coffman-Gomez, increasing his lead to just over 54% of the vote, early results showed Thursday. Dutra, who also...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The seventh annual Santa Cruz Gives holiday crowdfunding campaign raised more than $1 million for local nonprofit organizations in 2021. The milestone was reached after the campaign doubled in size, featuring 80 nonprofits on its online platform. Individual donors, matching funds, challenge gifts...